Do you have a lot of exposure to teenagers? If you have teenage children, or
know people that do, you may have heard or thought of them at certain times
as sullen, uncommunicative, miserable,
and so on. This is because many teenagers experience depression, just like the
rest of us. Depression can also be brought upon by other problems like bipolar disorder or ADHD. If your teen suffers from one of these there is help available.

The thing about teen depression that many adults fail to realize (and, let's
face it, remember) is that these feelings come about at a time when everything
else in that person's life has been turned upside down. They are making a difficult
transition from childhood into adulthood, with all the resultant changes in
their bodies, outlook, perception, peer groups, and mind set that growing up
entails. Any major changes in the teen's life will cause stress for the teenager. Because of all these
extra stresses, teens do not deal with depression in the more subtle ways we
see in adults.

The problem with teen depression is that not only is it exacerbated by age,
but there are degrees of depression and some are more severe than others. The
depression that parents, teachers, and teens themselves need to be concerned
about is the kind that leads to destructive behaviour within a teenager. This
behaviour can include:

Severe trouble in school, both in relationships and with grades.
Problems maintaining relationships both with family and with friends.
Misuse of drugs, alcohol, or sex, as a way to escape the feelings of
depression.
An inability to control some behaviours.

Negative attitudes, feelings of self loathing, irritability, loss of temper
over little things, appetite changes and even thoughts of suicide can all be
results of severe depression in a teenager. The most important thing to do is
to identify the symptoms as indicative of depression and to act on them.

Teens and parents have a number of different resources they can use when it
comes to depression. All of them tend to revolve around communication. This
communication may involve parents, other adults, school or other professional
counselors, even psychiatrists. The important thing is to keep communication
channels open so the teen in question can get the emotional anchor he or she
needs to make it through this time. A part time job can also be helpful for
a troubled teen. A job for example, can help the teen change their focus and build
up peer relations with others and help them with their communication skills.

This page was sponsored by Marcus Rotondi and his mold assessment business-